Chapter 133: Cold Noodles

Chapter 133: Cold Noodles

The rooster crowed thrice as the sky turned bluish green, and the chimneys of the Military Settlement began to emit wisps of smoke like scattered stars before dawn.

The wooden door creaked open as Uncle Old Niu led A’shui out, locking it behind him. He then guided the child down the alley.

Dawn and dusk are the times when people feel most despondent. A’shui, gazing at the dim path ahead, whimpered, "Dad, when is Mom coming back?"

"Once you grow up, she'll be back," Uncle Old Niu replied smoothly.

"The naughty little sheep said my mom ran away with someone and doesn't want me anymore."

The "naughty little sheep" she referred to was the son of their right-side neighbor, who always liked to provoke her, making her cry every time.

"That naughty boy knows nothing. Ignore him," Uncle Old Niu said loudly, then comforted her, "Would I lie to you? You'd be a fool to believe him."

"I'm not a fool," A’shui retorted indignantly.

Uncle Old Niu chuckled.

"I'm not a fool," A’shui insisted.

Uncle Old Niu pretended not to believe her, letting go of her hand and walking briskly ahead, causing A’shui to run after him, laughing as she tried to catch him.

Outside the Military Settlement, A’shui grew tired, so Uncle Old Niu slowed down and squatted, saying, "I'll carry the little fool."

A’shui stubbornly walked past him.

Uncle Old Niu smiled and followed slowly behind, waiting until A’shui could no longer walk before squatting down again.

A’shui climbed onto his back, gripping his ears and murmured, "A’shui is not a little fool."

"Mm, you're not."

A’shui swung her legs, turning her head to gaze at the high walls, gradually feeling sleepy again.

Hearing her breathing steady, Uncle Old Niu took a detour to avoid the bustling market stalls. He took a longer route through the alleys, entering the fog-filled shop just as the sky brightened.

Two baskets of steamed buns were ready, and Sui Yu and Zhao Xiaomi worked together to remove them from the steamer. As they lifted the lid, steam rushed out, filling half the room.

They placed two more baskets on the steamer, and Sui Yu wiped her flour-covered hands, walking through the mist to see Uncle Old Niu carrying A’shui into the room where dried vegetables were stored.

"Is A’shui still asleep?" she asked softly as she approached.

"She fell asleep on the way. She was awake when we left," Uncle Old Niu said, spreading a quilt over A’shui. He then left with the patched clothes, closing the door behind him.

"We left in a hurry this morning and didn't have time to cook porridge," he told Sui Yu.

Sui Yu laughed, handing him two buns and asking, "Is that enough?"

"Plenty, plenty," Uncle Old Niu smiled, his toothless mouth crinkling. "A’shui won't cause trouble. When she wakes up, she won't cry. Just keep an eye on her. She doesn't wander much and can play for hours with a single feather."

Sui Yu nodded, saying, "Yesterday afternoon, she spent a long time shaping dough. She's not a troublesome child."

"You're right; she's not a troublemaker," Uncle Old Niu chuckled. "I'll leave her here. I’ll watch over her and come back in the evening to pick her up."

Sui Yu saw him off, just as a young boy approached with a bowl. She smiled and asked, "Are you alone? Where are your parents?"

"No, Sister Yu, please make me a bowl of braised noodle soup."

"Sure, come in."

The braised dishes had just been cooked, and the radishes were still a bit hard. Sui Yu gave the boy extra tofu pieces, saying, "Eleven coins if you bring your own bowl."

"Have the breakfast ready? Bring me a plate of buns," another customer entered.

Zhao Xiaomi served him a plate of buns, collecting fifteen copper coins and placing them in the money box.

By mid-morning, four baskets of buns were sold out, along with thirty-seven bowls of dumplings and noodle soups. The sun had risen, and the heat was growing.

The soldiers at the training ground finished their exercises, drenched in sweat, including the ten thousand-householders.

Gu Qianhu noticed Zhao Xiping putting away his staff and leaving, surprised, "Not practicing today?"

"Not today. Come earlier in the evening for more practice," Zhao Xiping said, shaking out his wet shirt, feeling sticky and uncomfortable.

"Going to your shop for lunch? I didn’t eat anything this morning," Jiang Qianhu approached.

Zhao Xiping waved him off, "Go ahead. I have other things to do."

Jiang Qianhu looked at Gu Qianhu, "Are you going?"

Gu Qianhu agreed, and they went together.

Zhao Xiping returned home, where Yin Po opened the door for him. Seeing some chickens in the front yard, she chased them back into the coop.

Returning to the front yard, she saw Zhao Xiping hurrying out again. She closed the gate and went back to cooking millet rice.

Zhao Xiping carried eighteen strings of cash to the construction site, inspecting the completed foundation from yesterday and the ongoing excavation. Within a short while, the foundation was dug, demonstrating impressive speed.

As the sun rose higher, Gan Da and Gan Er stopped working and returned. In less than half an hour, they brought two baskets of food.

Those doing heavy labor consumed a lot, and Yin Po had prepared a dish of millet rice mixed with radishes, bean sprouts, and vegetable leaves, along with camel fat residue. Though not particularly tasty, it was filling.

Four large buckets of food were set down, and the workers quickly grabbed their bowls and chopsticks. Taking advantage of this break, Zhao Xiping distributed the previous day's wages.

"From now on, wages will be paid at mealtime for the work done the day before," Zhao Xiping reassured them. "I'll pay on time, and you'll work diligently for me."

"Rest assured, sir, we won’t slack off or cheat," they promised.

"Right, you don't need to come every day. Come back in ten days or half a month, and by then, the walls will be up."

Xiping looked at the two people speaking and said, "Alright, I'll trust you this time. From now on, Uncle Niu will pay your wages. I'll come back in half a month."

"Sure, sure. You'll definitely see the walls then."

Xiping looked at Uncle Niu and said, "From now on, go to Sui Yu for the money."

"Really not coming anymore?" Uncle Niu asked.

Xiping nodded. His family needed money, so he planned to venture further out or go hunting in the fields to bring back more game to sell.

After leaving, Xiping went to a shop for lunch. In the afternoon, he left with his bow and arrow, leading the largest camel.

Sui Yu, now free, started thinking about making cold noodles. Turning hot noodles into cold ones required just two rinses, which was simple. The challenge lay in the sauce—how to make it taste unique, something only she could create that other food stalls couldn't replicate.

For the toppings, yellow bean sprouts were essential, along with cucumber shreds and pickled radish strips. After deciding on these three, Sui Yu asked La Mei's sister-in-law to help collect more pickled radishes and cucumbers when she came to deliver vegetables.

"Did the Sichuan pepper tree I gave you a few years ago bear fruit?" La Mei's sister-in-law asked.

Sui Yu nodded and said, "It bloomed this year. I haven't checked yet, so I'm not sure if it bore any fruit."

"If it grows some young saplings, dig one or two for me. My tree was trampled by a cow and probably won't survive," La Mei's sister-in-law instructed.

"Sure, if there are any saplings, I'll dig a couple for you," Sui Yu agreed.

In the afternoon, Sui Yu went back to check on the Sichuan pepper tree planted in the courtyard where Xiaomi lived. Most of the pale white flowers had already fallen, and clusters of tiny fruits had formed where the flowers once were, though they weren't ripe yet.

Sui Yu went to the market, bought some leeks and garlic, and saw that garlic bulbs were still available this season. She asked about the price, bought a bunch, and then went to a foreign merchant's shop to inquire about Sichuan peppers. Learning that the medical hall sold them, she went there to check the prices. They were expensive, and using Sichuan peppers would increase the cost of her cold noodles by several coins.

Leaving the medical hall, Sui Yu stood by the roadside, kicking a pebble, hesitating for a while before turning back to the medical hall.

"What's wrong with you?" the old doctor asked, releasing her wrist after feeling her pulse. "Based on your pulse, you're fine."

Sui Yu didn't move her hand and said, "Feel my pulse again and see if I have a cold constitution."

The old doctor ignored her and said, "Your liver fire is quite strong. Don't worry too much; no need for medicine."

He then called the next patient forward.

Sui Yu walked out, clutching the garlic bulb, feeling reassured that her body was fine.

Back at the shop, Sui Yu began preparing the sauce. She washed and dried the leeks in the sun, peeled and chopped the garlic into a half bowl.

There wasn't much lard left in the oil can, so Sui Yu went to the market to buy pork fat. Coincidentally, she encountered someone selling camel meat and bought five pounds of camel fat.

"Did you manage to keep the camels alive?" the vendor asked.

Only then did Sui Yu look closely, recognizing him as someone who had helped catch the camels before.

"Yes, we kept them alive. Didn't you? Camels are easy to raise, right?" Sui Yu wondered.

"This is the male camel we brought back. It was wild and hard to tame, so we sold it but it was returned. We ended up slaughtering it," the man explained.

Sui Yu felt a bit sorry for the camel, as it had a good build and would have been a strong helper for hauling goods.

"Maybe it was anxious. Give it more time to adapt. Animals can't speak, but they know kindness. If you treat them well, feed them, and give them water, they won't be scared and will stay," Sui Yu said, handing over the money. "What a pity. If I had known, I would have bought it."

"If we encounter a similar situation in the future, should I let you know?" the man asked.

Sui Yu considered it. The next camel hunt would be next spring, by which time her inn would be earning money, and she might have extra funds.

She nodded in agreement.

"Oh, right." The man stopped her. "About the incident in the desert where the male camel broke its rope and escaped—it was a misunderstanding. No one meant to harm you. Old Wan got kicked by a camel and couldn't tie the rope tightly."

"That was my misunderstanding," Sui Yu admitted readily. "No worries, I didn't take it to heart."

The man watched her walk away, thinking that gaining two more camels was cause for celebration, not resentment. It was purely Old Wan and his nephew being overly concerned.

Back at the shop, Sui Yu rendered the lard first, followed by the camel fat. She split the Sichuan peppers and fried them after removing the oil residue. Then she added the sun-dried and chopped leeks and garlic chives, frying them until crispy. Finally, she poured the hot oil over the garlic bits, which sizzled and lost their pungency while remaining clear and unburnt.

The resulting two half-bowls of garlic oil filled the courtyard and even part of the alley with a fragrant and pungent aroma.

Old Tu, sneezing, peeked in and asked gruffly, "What are you doing? The alley is almost unbearable."

"Uncle, come in. I'll make you a bowl of cold noodles. Give me some feedback."